![]() Drawing on a huge body of research, she argues that our dread of contamination is an evolved defense against parasites - and a double-edged sword. As McAuliffe documents, a subconscious fear of contagion impacts virtually every aspect of our lives, from our sexual attractions and social circles to our morals and political views. Parasites influence our species on the cultural level, too. Germs that cause colds and flu may alter our behavior even before symptoms become apparent. ![]() Microbes in our gut affect our emotions and the very wiring of our brains. Organisms we pick up from our own pets are strongly suspected of changing our personality traits and contributing to recklessness, impulsivity - even suicide. We humans are hardly immune to the profound influence of parasites. With astonishing precision, parasites can coax rats to approach cats, spiders to transform the patterns of their webs, and fish to draw the attention of birds that then swoop down to feast on them. Far more often than appreciated, these puppeteers orchestrate the interplay between predator and prey. ![]() These tiny organisms can live only inside another animal, and, as McAuliffe reveals, they have many evolutionary motives for manipulating their host's behavior. ![]() A riveting investigation of the myriad ways that parasites control how other creatures - including humans - think, feel, and act. ![]()
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